Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of my mom tugging, twisting, and smoothing my hair back into an ultratight bun for dance recitals. I can still feel the scalp discomfort, but I also recall dancing my heart out onstage for hours, only to walk off — much to my mom’s delight — with every hair perfectly in place. And as a result, some 20 years later, I still find myself using some of her hair-smoothing bun techniques on hectic days when I want to neatly pull my hair away from my face, when there’s no time to wash it.
Even though the slicked-back-bun hairstyle has been around for decades, most prominently in Black communities, it started popping up in headlines when video of of Sofia Richie’s bun routine went viral. As both a beauty journalist and someone who occasionally indulges in a bit of doomscrolling on TikTok, I try to make an effort not to get caught up in the never-ending cycle of beauty trends. But in this particular instance, what I found interesting was the backlash from beauty professionals, as a slew of hairstylists began dueting videos explaining how the methods used by both Richie and other creators were damaging to the hair and should be avoided at all costs. I was intrigued and thought maybe I could do some digging for an easier-on-the-hair way to do the bun.
So, first things first: Slicked-back buns are, by nature, not excellent for your hair. In general, they can create significant tension, especially along your hairline, causing breakage and hair thinning in these areas. A lot of the videos demonstrating the style (including Richie’s) were doing their slick buns on wet hair. Numerous hairstylists explained to me that this is even harder on your hair. Protein bonds in hair weaken when wet, making it even more susceptible to breakage and stretching.
Another thing I learned is that the products you use for slick buns are really important, both for the health of your hair and in order for your slicked-back buns to actually stay down without bumps and flyaways. The goal is to find products that are strong enough to smooth your hair down, without the formula being so thick that it’s impossible to wash out of your hair (product buildup can prevent your hair from absorbing moisture from your conditioner, resulting in dryness and breakage). But through my sleuthing, I’ve found a couple of really incredible products that create excellent buns on dry hair. I haven’t noticed any increase in breakage of dryness. It’s important to note that I have coarse, thick, wavy hair, so my recommendations are based on personal experience with that hair type.
Hair gel is one of the most important aspects of the slick bun, as it’s often the main thing keeping everything in place and creating that shine. I’ve tried a few different hair gels over the years, but my favorite thus far is undoubtedly Garnier’s Pure Clean hair gel, which is a product I picked up on a whim from Target for an incredibly affordable $7. It’s relatively lightweight — it has an almost watery gel texture — but it really does have a hold that lasts all day (literally). Here is how I use it: I clip aside the a thin section of hair that frames my hairline. I run a dollop of gel through my hair with my fingers, and then brush my hair back into a sleek and snug (but not overly tight) ponytail using a smoothing brush, then secure it with a hair tie. You want to make sure there are no bumps in your hair by this point by making sure your hair is smoothed all the way through (not just on the surface). Next, unclip the front pieces and apply some gel. Carefully brush them back so that they seamlessly blend with hair that’s tied back. Twist the ponytail into a bun, securing it with a hair tie or claw clip.
Aside from doing a great job at actually keeping my hair in place, perhaps my favorite thing about this product is just how easily it rinses out of my hair — I don’t even need a particular deep-cleansing shampoo or scalp brush, it just immediately washes out, leaving my hair squeaky clean as soon as I massage a bit of my SEEN shampoo in. And also, as someone with extremely acne-prone skin, who is specifically sensitive to hair-care products, this gel has never broken me out.
Even though the Garnier Pure Clean has a pretty good hold, I’ll occasionally notice some flyaways sprouting up, especially when I’m running around in the extreme heat and humidity. In this instance, my absolute favorite product to use is this Taming Wand from Dae, which looks almost like a jumbo brow gel. Dae’s standard Styling Cream, which comes in a bottle, doesn’t have a strong enough hold to slick all of my hair back (it’s just not quite as grippy as Garnier’s Pure Clean), but when the formula is used in this Taming Wand, it works absolutely wonders for slicking little bits and pieces here and there that have come loose from your bun throughout the day. And the packaging is so sleek and petite, it’s the perfect thing to throw in your bag for on-the-go touch-ups throughout the day.
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